How can 30 year old F-111 airframes last another 30 years?
The simple answer: aircraft are machines, not people. The ‘age’ of an aircraft’s airframe structure is primarily measured by the number of hours it has flown compared with the life for which it was designed to operate. After some 30 years, the F-111 airframe structure is just over half way into its original design life, before any consideration of life extension which is normal for RAAF aircraft.
